2 Chronicles 20:1-12 Meaning: We Don’t Know What to Do, But Our Eyes Are on You
1After this, the children of Moab, the children of Ammon, and with them some of the Meunites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.
2Then some came who told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea from Syria. Behold, they are in Hazazon Tamar” (that is, En Gedi).
3Jehoshaphat was alarmed, and set himself to seek Yahweh. He proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
4Judah gathered themselves together to seek help from Yahweh. They came out of all the cities of Judah to seek Yahweh.
5Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in Yahweh’s house, before the new court;
6and he said, “Yahweh, the God of our fathers, aren’t you God in heaven? Aren’t you ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in your hand, so that no one is able to withstand you.
7Didn’t you, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it to the offspring of Abraham your friend forever?
8They lived in it, and have built you a sanctuary in it for your name, saying,
9‘If evil comes on us—the sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine—we will stand before this house, and before you (for your name is in this house), and cry to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save.’
10Now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom you would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned away from them, and didn’t destroy them;
11behold, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of your possession, which you have given us to inherit.
12Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no might against this great company that comes against us. We don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”
1It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.
2Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazon–tamar, which is En–gedi.
3And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
4And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the Lord: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.
5And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court,
6And said, O Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?
7Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?
8And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying,
9If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.
10And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not;
11Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit.
12O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.
1And it came to pass after this, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them some of the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.
2Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea from Syria; and, behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar (the same is En-gedi).
3And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek unto Jehovah; and he proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
4And Judah gathered themselves together, to seek help of Jehovah: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek Jehovah.
5And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of Jehovah, before the new court;
6and he said, O Jehovah, the God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and art not thou ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? and in thy hand is power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee.
7Didst not thou, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and give it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?
8And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying,
9If evil come upon us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house, and before thee (for thy name is in this house), and cry unto thee in our affliction, and thou wilt hear and save.
10And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned aside from them, and destroyed them not;
11behold, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit.
12O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.
1And it cometh to pass after this, the sons of Moab have come in, and the sons of Ammon, and with them of the peoples, against Jehoshaphat to battle.
2And they come in and declare to Jehoshaphat, saying, `Come against thee hath a great multitude from beyond the sea, from Aram, and lo, they are in Hazezon-Tamar--it is En-Gedi.'
3And Jehoshaphat feareth, and setteth his face to seek to Jehovah, and proclaimeth a fast over all Judah;
4and Judah is gathered to inquire of Jehovah; also, from all the cities of Judah they have come in to seek Jehovah.
5And Jehoshaphat standeth in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of Jehovah, at the front of the new court,
6and saith, `O Jehovah, God of our fathers, art not Thou--God in the heavens? yea, Thou art ruling over all kingdoms of the nations, and in Thy hand is power and might, and there is none with Thee to station himself.
7`Art not Thou our God? Thou hast dispossessed the inhabitants of this land from before Thy people Israel, and dost give it to the seed of Abraham Thy friend to the age,
8and they dwell in it, and build to Thee in it a sanctuary for Thy name, saying,
9If evil doth come upon us--sword, judgment, and pestilence, and famine--we stand before this house, and before Thee, for Thy name is in this house, and cry unto Thee out of our distress, and Thou dost hear and save.
10`And now, lo, sons of Ammon, and Moab, and mount Seir, whom Thou didst not grant to Israel to go in against in their coming out of the land of Egypt, for they turned aside from off them and destroyed them not,
11and lo, they are recompensing to us--to come in to drive us out of Thy possession, that Thou hast caused us to possess.
12`O our God, dost Thou not execute judgment upon them? for there is no power in us before this great multitude that hath come against us, and we know not what we do, but on Thee are our eyes.'
1And it came to pass after this [that] the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them certain of the Maonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.
2And they came and told Jehoshaphat saying, A great multitude is come against thee from beyond the sea, from Syria; and behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar, which is Engedi.
3And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek Jehovah, and proclaimed a fast throughout Judah.
4And Judah gathered themselves together to ask [help] of Jehovah: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek Jehovah.
5And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of Jehovah, before the new court;
6and he said, Jehovah, God of our fathers, art not thou God in the heavens, and rulest thou not over all the kingdoms of the nations? And in thy hand there is power and might, and none can withstand thee.
7Hast not thou, our God, dispossessed the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and given it for ever to the seed of Abraham, thy friend?
8And they have dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying,
9If evil come upon us, sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, and we stand before this house and before thee — for thy name is in this house — and cry unto thee in our distress, then thou wilt hear and save.
10And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab, and those of mount Seir, amongst whom thou wouldest not let Israel go when they came out of the land of Egypt, (for they turned from them, and destroyed them not,)
11behold, they reward us, in coming to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to possess.
12Our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might in presence of this great company which cometh against us, neither know we what to do; but our eyes are upon thee.
Meaning in one sentence
Jehoshaphat faces a vast army and prays a desperate prayer.
Context
After Jehoshaphat had turned the nation back to God, he faced a new crisis. A coalition of Moabites, Ammonites, and Meunites marched against him. The report came fast: a great multitude was already at En Gedi, just a few miles from Jerusalem. Jehoshaphat was terrified. But his fear did not send him into a panic; it sent him straight to God. He set his face to seek the Lord, proclaimed a fast across Judah, and the people came from every city to join him. They gathered in the temple, and there Jehoshaphat prayed aloud. His prayer is not a polished speech. It is honest, raw, and full of faith. It holds on to what he knows: God is sovereign, faithful, and present. And when he reaches the end of his own resources, he speaks the words that have comforted believers ever since.
Key Words
Three Hebrew phrases in this passage deserve close attention. First, Jehoshaphat “set himself to seek Yahweh.” The Hebrew literally says he “set his face” (natan panav) to seek. The phrase pictures a person who turns toward God with fixed intention, not a casual glance. The word for “seek” here is darash, the same word used for consulting God in prayer and worship. It suggests wholehearted pursuit, not a quick request.
Second, he “proclaimed a fast” (tsom). In the Old Testament, fasting was a way of humbling the heart and focusing the whole community on God. By calling a national fast, Jehoshaphat invited everyone to share the burden and the hope.
Finally, the closing line: “Our eyes are on you.” The Hebrew is terse, einenu aleikha, literally “our eyes upon You.” It is a posture of total dependence. The word for eyes (ayin) often carries the sense of trust, watching for rescue. Jehoshaphat is not saying he knows the plan; he is saying he knows the Person.
How Christians Read This Verse
Across Christian traditions, Jehoshaphat’s prayer has been seen as a model for how to cry out to God in crisis. Many preachers point to its structure: he begins with who God is (sovereign Ruler), recalls what God has done (driving out the nations, keeping covenant), and then presents the present need (enemies who seek to steal the inheritance). He ends not with a demand, but with confession of weakness and a focus on God.
Catholic and Orthodox readers often highlight Jehoshaphat’s stance in the temple and his appeal to God’s promise to hear prayers offered there. Reformed teachers emphasize his appeal to God’s sovereignty over all kingdoms. Across the board, Christians agree: this is a prayer that can be prayed again and again, whenever we are out of answers.
A common misunderstanding
A common misreading is that Jehoshaphat’s prayer teaches passivity, that “our eyes are on you” means we should just wait and do nothing. In fact, the king gathered the army, consulted God, and the next day they marched into battle singing. Trusting God did not mean sitting still. It meant doing what they could while relying on God for what they could not.
Living This Out
This week, you will likely face something that makes you feel helpless: a difficult conversation, a financial worry, a health concern. Before you try to solve it alone, try Jehoshaphat’s pattern. Set your face toward God. Name who He is, ruler over every kingdom. Remember what He has done for you before. Then honestly admit you do not know what to do. Fix your eyes on Him. Then take the next step He gives you, whether that is talking to a friend, seeing a doctor, or simply resting in His care. He sees the whole battle. You only need to see Him.
Main takeaway: When we admit we don’t know what to do, we can fix our eyes on God, who does.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
King Jehoshaphat saw a big army coming and was scared. He didn’t hide. He asked God for help and said, “We don’t know what to do, but we are looking at You.” You can say that to God too.
For ages 9, 12
When Jehoshaphat heard about the huge army, he could have panicked. Instead, he gathered everyone to pray. He didn’t pretend to have a plan. He remembered how God had helped His people before, and then he said honestly, “We don’t know what to do.” That is a brave prayer. When something feels too big for you, you can pray that same prayer. God is not afraid of your honest words.
Questions People Ask
Why did the Moabites and Ammonites attack Jehoshaphat after his reforms?
The Bible does not give a clear reason. Some commentators suggest they saw Jehoshaphat’s kingdom as weakened after his alliance with Ahab. Others note that enemies often attack when God’s people are doing right. The point is that faithfulness does not always bring ease, but it does bring God’s presence in the crisis.
What does it mean to 'set himself to seek the Lord'?
The Hebrew phrase literally means “set his face” to seek. It shows a deliberate, determined turning toward God. This is not a casual prayer said in passing. It is a decision to put everything else aside and pursue God for help.
Is it okay to tell God that I don’t know what to do?
Absolutely. Jehoshaphat’s prayer shows that honesty is welcome. God knows our limits already. Saying “we don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on You” is not a lack of faith. It is faith that trusts God even when the path is hidden.
What happened after Jehoshaphat prayed this prayer?
God sent a prophet named Jahaziel who told them not to be afraid, “for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” They went out to face the enemy the next day, and God caused the enemy armies to turn on each other. The people of Judah only had to collect the plunder.
Why did Jehoshaphat stand in the temple courtyard?
The temple was the place where God promised to hear prayers offered in His name (2 Chronicles 6-7). By standing there, Jehoshaphat was claiming that promise. He was reminding God of His word and anchoring his faith in the covenant.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study